Maintaining your swimming pool

Swimming pools can be expensive both to buy and to maintain. Whether you’ve got an in ground pool or an above ground pool you need to make sure that you look after it. Without proper care your pool can easily become dysfunctional. The good news is that looking after your pool isn’t too difficult and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes per week.

Water balance – This is one of the most confusing parts and unfortunately it’s also one of the most crucial. Without proper balance your water might not be safe to swim in and could cause corrosion. An incorrect pH or balance of chlorine can cause skin and eye irritation. You should make sure to test your waters pH with a test kit, the optimum level is around 7.5 and no higher than 8.

Vacuuming – Just like anything else your pool builds up dirt, especially if you don’t have a pool cover or a filter. Vacuuming your pool will prevent corrosion of the metal and breakdown of your pool liner. More than that, it will prevent the water from being harmful to you and your family. Recently more consumers are moving towards robotic cleaners, but you can still use a manual pool vacuum without issue.

Scale – This can be a serious issue if you live in an area with extremely hard water. You can buy test kits which will allow you to find out the ‘calcium hardness level’ of your water. The optimum level here is between 200 and 240 ppm (parts per million). If your calcium level is too high then you’ll want to filter out some of the water and replace it with soft water. Light scale can be easily removed with a brush or tile cleaner.

Skim – Instead of just leaving any debris in your pool you should try and fish them out. It can be hard to remove sunk material so try and get rid of it whilst it is still floating. Skimming is important to prevent your filters becoming blocked and will improve your pools circulation. If your pool has a strainer basket then make sure to clear these out similar to a vacuum.

Shock your pool – Everyone knows that unpleasant chlorine smell, right? Well that’s actually caused by the chlorine interacting with other material and producing a smell. To get rid of this you’ll actually want to add more chlorine. This might seem odd, but the added chlorine will clean the water and prevent the smell. Shocking or ‘super-chlorinating’ can be done every couple weeks, but your manufacturer should have more information that is relevant to your pool.

Cover and protect – A lot of people don’t buy a pool cover because they think it’s expensive. Pool covers actually aren’t that pricey anymore and they can help to prevent further problems by protecting your pool. A good pool cover will keep out a lot of dirt and prevent build-up which can incur costs. It’s also worth looking at solar covers which retain the suns heat to reduce what you spend to heat your pool.

Properly maintaining your pool isn’t a one step process and it can seem overwhelming. But looking after your pool really isn’t rocket science, it’s more pool science! Whilst it’s not always complicated, you should consult a professional if you have any doubts or serious issues that could be dangerous.